Witness the Incredible Rupture of Argentina's Perito Moreno Glacier

the perito morno glacier is a magnificent natural wonder located in the Patagonian Andes of Argentina this 250 square km Glacier was first discovered by non-indigenous explorers in the late 19th century with various names proposed before it was finally named after the pioneering Explorer Francisco morno the glaciers Origins are actually shared between Argentina and Chile as it flows from the southern Patagonian ice field that spans the border between the two countries one of the most remarkable features of the parito morno GLA is the periodic rupture or cing of its ice front this spectacular natural phenomenon occurs when the advancing Glacier blocking a section of Lego Argentino causes the water level to build up dramatically on one side intermittently the pressure becomes too great and the ice barrier breaks unleashing a massive outpouring of water into the main Lake these rupture events can be sudden with Peak discharge rates exceeding 8,000 cubic m/ second or more gradual Progressive events that can last for months the sudden discharge ruptures are some of the most dramatic such as the events in 2004 2006 2008 and 2012 in 2004 the Damned Lake reached a peak level of 10.5 M before the barrier collapsed sending 5,000 cubic m/ second gushing out these ruptures can be truly onping attracting tens of thousands of tourists to witness the event in contrast the progressive discharge ruptures are more drawn out Affairs in the summer of 2013 for example the glacier Advanced to within just 30 m of the shore causing the RICO arm of the lake to fill up to a maximum level of 2.2 M the water then slowly eroded a subglacial tunnel through the ice with a discharge only reaching a peak of 205 cubic m/s and taking over two months to fully equalize the lake levels occasionally the glacier's advancement does not completely block the water flow leading to minor discharge events where the water level only Rises by about a meter before finding a way through these smaller events see in the 1990s still demonstrate the dynamic interaction between the glacier and the lake beyond the incredible rupture phenomenon the perito morno glacier is also home to a unique ecosystem a rare Glacier stonefly called The antier W linki sometimes known as the pearl of the Andes or Dragon of Patagonia lives its entire life on the glacier feeding on bacteria brought in by the wind with its massive size stunning Vistas and dramatic rupture events the parito morno glacier is one of Argentina's top natural ATT ctions hundreds of thousands of tourists flock to see this natural W each year bringing economic benefits to the local region the glaciers delicate balance and the ongoing climate change threat make it an important site for scientific study as well